Who Led You to the Lord?

Who Led You to the Lord? Friday, April 23, 2021 Kirsten Telan

Focus Verse:

“Then spoke Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

I grew up in a small town in the heart of Boston. We attended church a few miles from home in the center of our little Bostonian town. In the winter, especially after a freshly fallen snow, our quaint little place of worship looked like something out of a postcard…picture perfect. This is where my family and I went to church every Sunday; rain, shine or snowstorm. My brother, sister, and I sang in the choir, attended Sunday school, baked blueberry muffins for our members, and went to youth group every Tuesday after school. ~In my younger years, My. Parents. Led. Me. To. The. Lord.

In the middle of my 7th grade year, my father accepted a job transfer and we moved to Orlando, Florida. We church shopped, we church hopped, we received sweet invites from neighbors to “please come join us and be our guest at church next Sunday.” We enjoyed visiting different churches and meeting lovely people but we never found that one church to call our home. Middle school, high school, college, and early twenties came and went…I was here, there, and everywhere when it came to going to church.

After I married, my Catholic husband said…”Let’s start going to the Catholic church down the road.” We did that for several years but I always felt as if I was trying to make a square peg fit into a circle. It just didn’t work. My sweet husband offered a wonderful compromise and suggested that we make our way to an Episcopal church in the neighborhood. What a blessing that was! It was the first time I felt a sense of a ‘home church’ in almost 20+ years. Our children were in Christmas programs, they attended VBS, we found ourselves volunteering at church fundraisers, and teaching Sunday school. ~In my early parenting years, My. Husband. Led. Me. To. The. Lord.

After several years, I came in to a season where I found the more I kept ‘busy’ at church the less I felt connected with God. Hmmm…how could this be? I prayed about it and decided to step back from all activities. Instead, I joined my very first bible study called “Breaking Free” by Beth Moore. I had no idea what I had just signed up for - it was a doozy. At the time, I was in a dark, angry place in my life; my relationship with my dad was at the core. Like poison, I allowed anger to run through my body and mind. Stress, tension, and anxiety took hold and created further distress in my life. This bible study allowed me to meet women that encouraged, inspired, and prayed me on to ‘break free’ and share my vulnerabilities and challenges, something I had never done. I like to tell people that I failed the course the first time around so I signed up to do the study for a second time (a year later) and boom…I really learned how to break free from holding on to anger and learned how to love my dad (and myself) again.

Over the past 15 years, our bible study group has become known as the “Bible Babes.” It is an ever- changing diverse group of prayer warriors of all ages, denominations, demographics; a good representation of the Body of Christ. Some women take a break for a month, a year (or more), and then come back in different seasons of their life. Either way, all are welcome…no judgment, no hypocrisy, no cliques…only love and light so that we can shine bright! ~In my older and wiser years, The. Holy. Spirit. Led. Me. To. The. Lord

Prayer:

“Let your light SHINE before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven.” Matthew 5:16

No matter what place or space or time or season you are in, we are led to the Lord by different people, relationships, and events in our life…all prompted by the Holy Spirit. Be bold today, my friends, and shine and His doors will continue to open for you and your light shall grow brighter and brighter. A small candle has the power to illuminate an entire room so take what you have and let it shine for the entire universe to see.

If you know me then you know God leads me to himself through humor and music. I would love for y’all to add these three songs to your playlist…they add pep to my step and make me want to shine 24/7. I hope they do the same for you!

“Heaven Let Your Light Shine Down” by Collective Soul “Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina and The Waves “Pocket Full of Sunshine” by Justin Timberlake